University of Texas Austin - Cactus Yearbook (Austin, TX)

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Fifty colorful years The Huntington Art Gallery again unveils world-class art by University faculty Leiden Plaque, fifth century A.D. ink drawing, courtesy of the Huntington Art Gallery The Huntington Art Gallery has long brought priceless works of art from all over the world to the University. Once a year, however, students have the opportunity to see undiscovered masterpieces by local art- ists. The works ranged from a painting of God in a nightshirt creating the world, to a lady in purple eating a chicken wing the size of a microwave. Yet all the diverse works had a common thread all were created by members of the Department of Art faculty. The 1988 faculty art show marked the 50th anniversary of the Department of Art and was a milestone for the faculty which grew from two members in 1938 to 75 today. The faculty is taking more chances and pushing themselves further, David Willard, public relations coordinator for the Depart- ment of Art and the Huntington Art Gallery, said. With 43 current faculty members and nine professors emeritus participating in the month-long exhibit, the diversity ranged from David Deming ' s nine-foot sculpture Brazilian Bee Keeper, to vivid tapestries of green, turquoise and pink by Doris Hutton, to Bob Anderson ' s eerie lithograph Good Old Days. The exhibit runs the gamut of whatever is being taught at the University, Mary Craddock, a Huntington Art Gallery docent, said. But besides obvious media differences, the diversity of the artists was manifested in their different perceptions of art and execution. Peter Saul, a faculty member of seven years, said that he refuses to work on anything that interests only himself or someone else. I have never had a conflict between pleasing myself and other people, Saul said, speaking to an audience which gathered at the Hun- tington Art Gallery. Mary Fish, a new arrival at the Department of Art, called her work selfish. I try to solve my own questions, said Fish. In one of her works, she showed how six folded origami cranes could form a St. Andrew ' s cross, a symbol of martyrdom. Although the trans- formation intrigued her, she wondered if others would derive any meaning from the work. Who cares if it takes six birds to make a cross? she said. Regardless of the reasoning behind each work, the audiences that wandered through the gallery viewed the works in relationship to themselves and found things pleasing. At the gallery tour held for elementary and junior high students, the children were solicited to give responses to what they saw. After examining Don Herron ' s ceramic piece Mortar Repair Series 7, a sixth- grader at O. Henry Junior High, 1 1-year-old Jesse Taylor, likened the piece to a glad- iator ring with the seats missing. In the back of the crowd, an adult whispered, It looks more like a bedpan to me. Whether considered a bedpan or an arena, beautiful or atrocious, the glory of the art show was its ability to give something to everyone. The art faculty succeeded in doing this with their unconventional techniques and unique styles. They also proved that some of the greatest works of art weren ' t found in New York or Paris - - they were right here on campus. Leslie Wimberley ART AND ARTIST: Peter Saul, senior lecturer in the art department, explains his painting to patrons of the art show. photo by Hannes Hacker 18 Faculty Art Show

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TEXAS TRADITION: Former cheerleaders conduct students in the Whisper Cheer at the Homecoming pep rally. photo by Kllaine Ferioli. STAND UP AND CHEER: Danny Ruiz, pharmacy senior, and Candee Emig, science education junior, lead the West Mall crowd in a cheer during the Homecoming pep rally. photo by Ellaine Ferioli. YELLOW ROSE OF TEXAS: President William Cunning- ham pins a yellow rose corsage on UT Sweetheart Amy Thomas, finance senior, while his wife Isabella looks on. photo by Robert Kirkham arm ' tadr ft duna ad studio an Homecoming 17

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. t m arena,, 1 Tin iho prm-ed tw whs of an weren ' t ' ' ' ?irs - they were LOST IN THOUGHT: Dr. Marian Davis, a retired University art history professor, looks at faculty paintings in the Huntington Art Gallery. photo by Hannes Hacker. ROUND AND ROUND: Don Her- ron, associate professor of art, demonstrates throwing , a ceramics technique, to Jayne Dibrell, Huntington Gallery decent. photo by Robert Kirkham Faculty Art Show 1 9